By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House 5)

As underneath their fragrant shade

I clasped her to my bosom.

“The golden hours on angel wings

Flew o’er me and my dearie

For dear to me as light and life

Was my sweet Highland Mary!”

“It’s sweet,” Mary said when the last note died away.

“It’s sweet but it’s sad,” said Laura. “I like ‘Coming Through the Rye.’”

“I’ll play it,” Pa said, “but I won’t sing it alone. It isn’t fair for me to do all the entertaining.”

So gaily all together they sang the lively song. And Laura got up and pretended to be wading across a creek, holding her skirts above her ankles and laughing back over her shoulder, singing:

“Ilka lassie has her laddie,

Nane, they say, ha’e I,

Yet all t

he lads they smile at me

When coming through the Rye.”

Then Pa’s fiddle twinkled short, gay little notes, and he sang:

“I’m Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines!

I feed my horse on corn and beans.

And I often go beyond my means

To court the girls all in their teens,

For I’m Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,

I’m Captain in the Army!”

Pa nodded at Laura, and she went on singing with the fiddle:

“I am Mrs. Jinks of Madison Square,

I wear fine clothes and I curl my hair,

The Captain went on a regular tear

And they kicked him out of the Army!”

“Laura!” Ma said. “Charles, do you think that is a nice song for a girl to sing?”

“She sang it well,” said Pa. “Now, Carrie, you must do your share. Get out here with Laura and see what you can do.”

He showed them how to hold hands and step to the tune of a polka. Then he played it and they danced while he sang: